There are football days when a wool hat is more useful than shin guards. It was the meteorological atmosphere that awaited Madrid in Vitoria, who jumped onto the grass in the middle of a whistle and with the thermometer reaching five degrees. … and he emerged with the mercury dropping and a certain feeling of relief. “We are all in this together,” said Xabi Alonso after closing the victory. Before and outside the field, the Alavés ultras had already taken care of warming up the preview, with a “kalejira” (parade, in Basque) on the way to the stadium in which the smoke from the flares mixed with the usual fog in this area of the Alava plain.
Iraultza 1921 propaganda, present inside, can also be seen outside Mendizorroza, leading at the end of November to the Anti-Violence Committee’s proposal to close the ground and a fine of 60,001 euros to the club for its support of “radical supporters”. This is just the latest controversy linked to this group, which includes elements of the EH Bildu dissidence, which they consider “social democrats”, and who are part of the local entertainment crowd, specialized in presenting different types mobile throughout the season.
This Sunday’s drawing consisted of three characters. An archer shooting an arrow, which was carried by fans until it stuck in a heart. The whole picture is painted on the phrase “eternal love”. Towards Glorioso, of course, because towards Madrid neither eternal nor ephemeral. Thus, the chants quickly began against the visitors, comparing them from time to time with the “hired friends” that José Luis Ábalos would have placed in different positions in the Administration.
The main target, in this case the entire stadium, was Raúl Asencio, to whom the ball arrived accompanied by a shower of whistles. A common thing since his case of alleged revelation of secrets of a sexual nature, currently being resolved by the courts, hit the press. The central defender was already marked by advertising boards at the entrance to the stadium during Madrid’s last visit to Vitoria in April this year, when Carlo Ancelotti was still occupying the white bench (in this case in a VIP box with stained glass windows and stoves as it was suspended) and Xabi Alonso’s name was mentioned in the press as a possible arrival and not the other way around.
On this occasion, under the leadership of Tolosarra, Madrid dominated, but beyond the whistles of the central defender, any timid approach from his team excited the babazorra supporters. After the twentieth minute, a nervous Coudet took off his gloves, whoever caught them, and Mbappé sprayed Sivera’s net two minutes later. “Son of bitches of madridistas”, now without euphemisms, resonated. After the changeover, the whistles went to García Verdura, when the Alavés understood that there had been an uncalled foul which had preceded the Frenchman’s goal play and after having interrupted a blue and white attacking play when there were two balls on the field. They didn’t abandon him again.
However, after the break, the enthusiastic Alavés crowd once again boosted the team’s morale with a second performance. All dressed in blue and white overalls, drawing several stripes, they stood up and squatted alternately to end by singing “Madridista el que no bot”. It seemed to work, and a few minutes later the draw came after debutant Valdepeñas’ “only mistake”, in the words of Alonso, who praised the youth team’s performance on the left side. The goal was written on the scoreboard preceded by the classic “this is how Madrid win”, as García Verdura was about to disallow it for offside.
With Iraultza’s repertoire covered, Mendizorroza ended up in despair as his team was unable to get around Rodrygo’s goal. Toni Martínez asked for energy, but they only got to a few to finish against Courtoiswho argued at a distance with several supporters, as he approached the corner where Madrid supporters were gathered to put on their jerseys. It remained between them, because, despite the victory, none of the Madrid players appeared in the mixed zone. It would be because of the cold.
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